CNS photo editor Nancy Wiechec and I were in Beijing last March for the fireworks ending Chinese new year celebrations, which often stretch for weeks. When we visited the Great Wall, we were surprised to see snow on the steps, but the city of Shenyang got hit with more than a foot of snow. After hours of delays, when we finally reached the airport in Shenyang, it was astounding to see the limited amount of snow removal equipment and the drifting. People were trying to clear some of the large runways with shovels.

When we drove from Shenyang to Fushun, there was a little less snow, but very cold temperatures and lack of central heating meant the nuns in the Sisters of the Sacred Heart convent there wore sweatpants and down jackets under their habits.

PHOTO: Pedestrians pass Sacred Heart Cathedral in Shenyang, China, last March after a heavy snowstorm. Now an open and functioning cathedral, it was among the churches forced to close during the Cultural Revolution. (CNS/Nancy Wiechec)